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Diet Myths – Important Information for Healthy Eating

With so much advice available to those that are trying to eat healthy, it is hard to distinguish the personal and practical advice to help you maintain a healthy diet. Not every meal plan works for everyone and there will never be one guaranteed recipe that is universal to all healthy diets. Truthfully, there are many myths about food that have recently been debunked and information from these can really aid in putting your diet on track for good. A few of the following myths come as good news, especially if you were dreading having to say goodbye to full course meals.

The first myth that is worthy of mentioning is the lie that only certain food groups are healthy. This is simply not true when you are trying to maintain a healthy diet. Your body needs an everyday, balanced portion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Eliminating any food group has a high risk of depriving your body of certain vitamins and minerals available from fiber and fruits and vegetables. It is important to remember that the whole reason for eating healthy is to be healthy. Many of these foods that are ruled out in crash diets are extremely important to developing and maintaining a resistant immune system and keeping the body free of sickness.

Second on the list is that meat is the best source of protein. As it turns out, many types of nuts, legumes, grains and oils contain even more. Many red meats are high in fat and sodium and should be consumed in moderation. The actual amount of protein received from a lot red meat is not worth the excess sodium and fat that the body must discard. Also, red meat is tough to digest and many believe that it is a direct cause of certain diseases of the colon. To maintain a healthy diet, the protein minimum is about 15% of the total calorie intake. Therefore, it is easy to consume your required protein without eating a lot of meat.

The last myth I will mention is that all fats are bad, especially if you are trying to lose weight. This myth sounds very reasonable at first, except for the fact that the body needs the “good” fats to help the internal organs function properly and to help lubricate joints and muscles. A few nutritious fat sources are salmon, tuna, tilapia, avocados, and raw nuts. Use extra-virgin olive oil and avoid processed foods and oils to maintain a healthy diet that is good for your heart. Though too many calories can be a problem and a hindrance to your weight loss, depriving your body of calories means you are depriving it of important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.